1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the field of musical instruments and, in particular, to percussion instruments such as drums and cymbals. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiments hereinafter described in accordance with the best mode of practice, this invention relates to the instrument pedals used by musicians to operate percussion instruments.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Music and musical instruments have been a companion part of human existence for virtually thousands of years. A parallel development in the design and manufacturing techniques for making musical instruments has accompanied the historical development of musical composition. This parallel development may generally be divided into two main functional categories including the design of new musical instruments and the redesign or improvement of known musical instruments.
For example, in regard to the design of new musical instruments, the first known harpsicord was designed and made by Gerolamo Bolognese in Rome in 1521. The popularity of this new instrument increased rapidity due to the pleasing musical tone which prior thereto had not been experienced by humankind. With the popularity of the harpsicord in Europe, national schools of construction were established principally in Italy, Flanders, France, England, and Germany. The craftsman in these national schools of construction perfected the mechanical design of the harpsicord during the 16th-18th until it became one of the most popular musical instruments in Europe. Indeed, most of the great Baroque composers played and wrote for the harpsicord. Thus, the harpsicord may be considered the musical instrument responsible for creating the Baroque genre of music.
A well known example of the redesign or improvement of a known musical instrument may be seen in the modern double-neck electric guitar. Prior thereto, two or three musicians were required to play lead, rhythm, and bass guitar. With the advent of the double-neck electric guitar, one musician could play both lead and rhythm, or rhythm and bass guitar. This design enabled the guitarist to expand the scope of his musical skills and musical repertoire.
Another important area relating to the creation of musical instruments is the craftsmanship and expert skills required for instruments made by hand. Before the advent of modern manufacturing methods, virtually all musical instruments were made by hand. Thus, metal workers became specialized and expert in hand manufacturing brass instruments such as the trumpet, French horn, and more recently, the saxiphone. Since the 16th century, guitar makers endeavered in the evolution of the acoustic guitar developing expert craftsman techniques which lead to the establishment of the "Master Lutist", who was recognized as possessing the highest level of craftsmanship and technical skills for making acoustic guitars. Similarly, the stringed instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, and bass were the object of a developing school of craftsmanship. For both the acoustic guitar and stringed instruments, wood workers developed specialized skills in making the instruments of their craft. The selection and drying of woods, along with grain patterns, bending, joining techniques, gluing, finishing, and varnishing all played an important role in producing musical instruments with improved sound quality or better tonality. For example, the family Stradivari, headed by Antonio Stradivari from the Duchy of Milan, b.1644-d.1737, is well noted for bringing violin-making to its highest level of perfection. Indeed, the Stradivarius violin to this day, commands the highest price due to the beauty of the violin's tone which resulted from the expertly optimized factors involved in its design and making.
With the advent of modern manufacturing techniques, the importance of hand-craftsmanship has been replaced by the need for precision machining and optimized mechanical design as the means for improving existing musical instruments and expanding the musical repertoire of musicians of all types. One of the most important elements of contemporary music includes percussion instruments and principally the modern drum set with related elements such as cymbal stands and base drums.
Since the first drums which included hollowed logs, many improvements in drums and other percussion instruments have been made. As time has past, music and concerts have become increasingly sophisticated. This sophistication has led musicians to require help in setting up the musician's complex instruments and stages. Thus, stage-hands or roadies need to spend hours and sometimes days working on the setup for a concert. Further, in concerts with multiple bands it is often necessary to quickly assemble and disassemble new equipment for each performing band. This is necessary because musicians rarely share equipment. Drums and percussion instruments represent one of the greatest challenges. The present invention seeks to aid the compactness, assembly, and disassembly of drums and percussion instruments. The present invention is also directed to increasing the musical repertoire of percussion musicians by allowing them to create musical beats and rhythms previously unattainable with prior art equipment.